Washing-machine.



W. MADQUESTEN- WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 191e,.

WITNESSES:

JFKWM W. D. MAOQUESTEN.

WASHING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED Nov. 5, 191

1,127,473, Patented Feb.9,1915.

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WASHING MAOHINB. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1913. t 1,127,47 3. Iatented Feb. 9, 19 15.

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WASHING IVZAGHII IE.

man-are Specification of Letters latent.

Ap'plication ales November 5, 1913, Serial No. mazes.

chester, and State of New York, have invented an Improvement in Washing-Machine's, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawingsis a s iec'ifica'tion, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

- This invention relates to a Washing machine or apparatus especially designed and adapted for Washing articles of fibrous materials, such'for instance as the ordinary firmily' Wash.

The invention has for its object to rovide a simple and eiiicient apparatus with which the fibrous articles may be thoroughly washed in a minimum time and with the least possible-expenditure of power, either manual or mechanical.

In the present instance, the invention is shown as embodied in a-r'nanually operated machine or apparatus, which is particularly adapted for household use, with the ordinary set tubs commonly found in households, suites, flats and the like.

In accordance With this invention, I employ a' recifiarocating device having its lower end Withhu'the tub to engage the clothes or other fabrics therein, and having its upper end extended up out of the tub, and mechanism for reciprocating said device. The d'e-- vice referred to may and preferably Will be a nl'unger or rod provided at its lower end with a cup or hollow head, preferably imp'ert'orate for a purpose as will he described,

and-the mechanism for reciprocating said plunger may he power operated or as herein shown it may be manually operated Pm vision is made for reciprocating a plurality of the plungers alternately as will be described. Provision is further made for agitating the clothes by the plungers' on their downward movement, as will be described. Provision is also made for-readily attaching and removing the apparatus to and from the tub. These and other features of this invention Will loe pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

I l igure' 1 is a plan view of a single tub provided with a washing machine or apparants embodyingthis invention. 2, a

rear elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig.

,1 l'ookin toward the left, showing one of the cups or heads in section, and also the tub in section. Fig. 3, a side elevation of the apparatus, with the tub in section.

In the present instance I have shown the invention as embodied in a hand operated Feb, Q, 322913.59

apparatus or machine, which is provided with a plurality of reciprocating devices, b, 6, herein shown as tivo in number and each comprising a plunger, rod or bar 10, pro

vided at its lower end with a cup or hell shaped hollow head 12, which may be detachably secured to the plunger 10 by a screw 13 passed through a Washer 14 and the bottom of the head 12 and into a threadedsocket in the end of the may be otherwise secured.

The recimooating devices 6, a, have their lower ends located in the tub (Z, which may he at any suitable or usual construction, such as now commonly found in the laundry rooms and kitchens of households, and the said devices are operativelv connected with arotatable shaft 15, which is shown in the present instance as a rock shaft, mounted to turn in brackets or arms 16, 17, see Fig. 3, attached to hubs 1 8, 19, Which are adjustable on a sunuorting frame, herein shown as a rod 20, which is secured in fixed relation to the tub (Z, as Will be described.

The rock shaft 15 has fast on it lever or Walking beam 21, having its opposite ends pivotally connected with the upper ends of the plungers 10 of the reciprocating devices 6, c, so that, when the shaft 15 is rocked, the devices 5, c, are reciprocated in opposite directions. it is preferredto conhost the plungers 10 to the opposite ends of a second lever or walking beam 22, which is located below the lever or beam 15 and. is mounted" on a pivot pin or she ft 28, which is located in a vertical plane with the rock shaft 15, and is supported by an arm or bracket E i depending from the huh plunger, or it The shaft 15 may he oscillated by means or a crank or handle 25.

The hubs 18, 19 are shdahle on the rod 1 screws 26, 27, in a manner Well understood.

rod 20 is provided at its rear and as herein shown with a cross bar or head 30, having a split hub31, which is secured to the said rod by a set-screw 32, and the said cross bar is provided on its underside with hooks or fingers 33, which are adapted to be passed down through holes 34 in a. supporting plate 35, which rests upon the rear wall of the tub and is secured by screws 37 or otherwise to a back board 38. The front end of the supporting rod projects over the front wall 39 of the tub, and is secured in fixed relation thereto, which may be accomplished as herein shown, by means of" a clamp screw 40, mounted to turn in an arm 41 depending from a split hub 42,which isclamped to the rod 20 by the set screw l3. 'The arm ll is inclined and is substantially parallel with the inclined front wall 39 of the tub, so that when the setscrew is set up, the pressure is substantially at right angles to the inclined front wall of the tub, which affords a broad surface for the head of the screw to bear against.

When the screw 40 is set up, the apparatus is firmly secured to the hub, as the screw draws the rod 20 forward, until the locking fingers or hooks 33 are in firm engagement with the metal plate 35.

In operation with the apparatus herein shown, the clothes to be washed, which are not herein shown, are placed in the tub cl containing soapy water or other washing solutions, and the operator then rocks the shaft 15 by means of the handle 25. On the movement of the rock shaft in one direction, the plunger Z) on one side of the rock shaft is moved downwardly in a substantially straight path, and the plunger-c on the other side of the rock shaft is moved upwardly as represented in Fig. 2, and on the movement of the rock shaft in the opposite direction, the movements of the plunger-s are reversed. Inasmuch as the action of each plunger and its cup or hell shaped hollow head is the same, a description of the action of one will suffice. On the downward movement of the plunger, the open mouth of the cup or hollow head is closed by the water, and the air in the cup is confined therein and is compressed by the water which enters the cup and fills the same, more or less. The cup on its downward movement into the water comes in contact with the clothes and its open mouth is more or less closed by the same, with the result that the water is forced through the meshes or interstices of the fabric, and on the upward movement of the cup the pressure upon the air confined in the cup is withdrawn and more or less of a vacuum is created in the cup, which has a suction effeet on the water and draws it in the opposite direction through the meshes or interstices of the fabric, and the dirt is thus loosened from the fabric and by repeated operations is effectively washed from the same. By connecting the plunger to two parallel levers, the plunger is not only moved in a substantially straight path but is supported against lateral displacement when the cup or hollow head strikes or is engaged with the clothes, and is maintained in a substantially straight path in its downward movement. The levers, however, effect a slight lateral movement of the cups toward each other at the end of each down stroke of the plunger, which serves to agitate the clothes and to move the same, so that untreated portions are brought beneath the cup and into position to be effectively acted upon by the same. In addition to the action of the water, which surges back and forth through the 1 eshes of the clothes, the latter are subjected to a pounding action by contact with the cup, and this pounding actionalso assists in freeing the dirt from the clothes. The steps of the ordinary method of washing the clothes are pursued with this app: "atus, that is, after the clothes have been subjected to the action of the reciprocating plungers in a. bath of soapy water, the latter may be run off from the tub, and the latter supplied with clean water, and the clothes are again subjected to the action of the apparatus.

Experience with an apparatus such as herein Sl'iOVv'l'l, has demonstrated the fact that clothes or other fabrics can be washed in a minimum time, with a minimum expenditure of effort on the part of the operator, and at the least possible cost.

l1 rom the above description, it will be seen that the apparatus is capable of being quickly and easily applied to any make or shape of set tubs, without injuring the tubs or imposing strain thereon. Further, the mechanism which operates the plungers is capable of adjustment on its supporting frame, so as to adjust the cups or hollow heads with relation to the clothes in the tub. The supporting frame is also adjustable so that it can be fitted to tubs of different sizes.

In the present instance I have shown the invention as'embodied in a manually op erated apparatus, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect. So also I have shown the invention as embodied in one construction of hand operated apparatus but it is not desired to limit the invention to the particular construction shown.

It is. preferred to provide the plungers with imperforate cup or hollow heads, so as to obtain the full vacuum or suction action as well as the compression action above described, but it is not desired to limit the invention in this respect, as the operating mechanism may be used to advantage with cups having one or more perforations or with solid heads. So also it is preferred to plurality of walking beams, but it is not desired to limit the inventionin this 7 Claims: I

1. in an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a rotatable shaft,

' lever operated thereby, plungers connected w; 1 said lever on opposite sides of-said shaft and provided at their free ends with hollow heads, a second lever connected withpiungers, a support for said shaft, a

frame to which said support is adjustably secured to permit the lungers to be adjusted within a tub, and

said tub. v v

in an 'ap aratus of the character decrihed, in com ination, a rotatable shaft, 2.

operated thereby, and plungers connested with said lever-on opposite sides of shaft, a supporting trams extended across andcapable of being detachably secured to one pair of opposite walls of a set 1 in fixed relation thereto and between other pair oi walls of said tub, and a ing for said rotatable shafthaving a relation to said supporting frame.

in an apparatus of the character descrihed, in combination, a supporting frame capable of being applied to and of being removed from a tub, a rotatable shaft, a supportfor said shaft carried bysaid frame and adjustable thereon, means to secure saidsnpport in fixed relation to said frame, and

-- plungers operated by said shaft.

4571!}. an apparatus of the character descrihed, in combination, a plurality of subst ntially parallel levers, reciprocating piungers connected to said levers on opposides of their pivots, a rock-shaft on which one of said levers is mounted to move therewith, a fixed bearing for said rock-- shaft, and means foractuating said rockshaft to oscillate said levers.

7 means for detachably securing said frame in fixed relatlon to 5. The combination with a tub, of a wash ing apparatus cooperating therewith and comprising a plurality of reciprocating devices extended into the tub, and mechanism for s multaneously rec procating sald devices 1n opposlte directions, and means for efl'ecting a slight lateral movement ofthe devices at the end of their strokes within'the scribed, in com ination, a rock-shaft, a fixed bearing therefor, a lever secured to said rock-shaft to be rocked with said shaft and extended in opposite directions therefrom, plungers pivotally attached to said lever to be suspended therefrom on opposite sides of said rock shaft and rovided at their lower ends with hollow eads, said plungers being reciprocated by rocking of said shaft, means for connecting the said plungers to other below said rock-shaft, and means or rocking said shaft to oscillate said lever and-reciprocate said plungers.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, an upper lever, plungers pivotally connected with said lever on opposite sides of its pivot, and provided with cups at their free ends, a fixed support for sa d lever, a lower lex er connecting said plungers together near the said cups, a separate suport for said lower lever, a frame located etween said levers and to which said supports are secured, and means connected with the upper lever to oscillate the same.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my WILLIAM n. MAGQUESTEN.

Witnesses: WALLACE B. HART,

ARTHUR Lm SoMnRs. 

